That's what friends are for, right?
by Mistress of Approval
Summary: On a mission to find her missing cousin, one girl discovers the importance of friendship as she begins life in a new school. Along the way she will make enemies, gain friends and perhaps even find true love. The only question that remains is; will it last beyond graduation? AU. High School. KandaJelena.


It was a cool, tranquil morning. The sun had barely even begun to rise and there was a soft morning dew that coated the fresh green grass outside. A fine layer of mist remained in the air as it had not yet been cleared by a faint strip of sunlight. The trees surrounding the houses rustled lazily in a quiet breeze, as if they themselves desired to continue dozing the morning away.

In a small residence at the end of a quiet neighbourhood, a girl remained undisturbed in her bed. Only 60 seconds remained before her alarm would chime, reminding her that this was her first day in her second year of high school. She turned in her sleep, spreading her honey blonde hair across her dainty blue pillow. Crusts of sleep were caught in the corner of her eyes and the tips of her lashes, though they easily brushed away when she pulled her soft bed sheet over her face. Finally the sun graced its first light over the horizon, shedding its warmth through the windows. Little baby birds chirped in the trees, ruffling their feathers as they impatiently waited for their mother's to bring back a worm or two for breakfast. Next, the postman stopped outside the neighbour's house, delivering his first run of mail to the wakening neighbourhood. He worked hard to make sure he never missed his mark each and every day. Then, time was up.

Jelena tossed her bed sheet off and instantly opened her eyes from the loud ringing of her alarm. Seconds later and they begun to drift closed again. She reached with her arm to hit the snooze button, but for some reason it decided not to work. She tried again, but with the same result. "Grrr!" Eventually it came to the point where she had to ball her hand into a fist and bash the top of the alarm so it would stop. However, the inevitable truth was that it was time for her to get up and start the day.

It was the same routine as any high schooler, though the young sixteen year old didn't have any family to share her morning with. She originally hailed in Serbia, but after her cousin ran away about a year ago to Japan, she decided to search for her. As children they were inseparable to the point where their relationship became more and more like sisters, so it came as quite a shock to hear about her cousin's sudden disappearance. If it weren't for her young age, she would have left the day she heard her cousin was gone. However, she had to wait until a year had passed before she could actually make the decision to leave on her own. Her parents disagreed with the endeavour, but they couldn't bear the thought of their little girl living on her own with no money in a foreign city, so they agreed to pay for housing, food and school as long as she made time for study so she could still graduate with a good level of education. Despite her only clue left behind by her cousin was a ticket to Tokyo, Jelena packed her things and now here she is.

After getting ready she sat at the table to eat her eggs and toast for breakfast, though she was suddenly interrupted by an anonymous phone call. She assumed it was her parents, since they had been calling religiously every day to make sure she was okay.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hello! Is this Jelena Hasu by any chance?" an eccentric male's voice replied.

"Yes, this is her speaking. Do you mind if I ask whose calling?" she inquired hesitantly.

"Fantastic!" the male's voice suddenly bellowed. "I am Komui Lee, your homeroom teacher at your new school."

"S-Sensei?" she muttered in confusion. It's not every day you receive a call from your homeroom teacher, let alone one you haven't even met yet. It was certainly a surprise.

"Ah, there's no need to be formal. I'm also your science teacher and head of outgoing club activities, so just call me your Supervisor."

"Okay, Supervisor."

"I'm sorry to call so early, but I wanted to catch you before you arrived at school. I heard that you missed the opening ceremony, so I've arranged for you to skip morning lessons so you can take a tour with the student council president and get to know your surroundings." Komui said cheerfully, obviously in a good mood this morning.

"T-Thank you. I completely forgot that I missed the opening ceremony… I would have been so lost." she replied, leaning back in her chair and let a sigh of relief escape her lips.

"No need to thank me. I heard that you moved quite far from home without your parents, so I made sure you are well taken care of here." he chuckled. "Howard Link will be waiting for you beside the front gates. He's a senior. He has golden hair that's usually tied back and will be wearing the student council blazer. I'm sure if you can't find him, he'll find you."

"Thank you so much… I look forward to meeting him and you, Se- Supervisor."

"If you have any concerns, just call me. Good luck!" he hung up.

Jelena hung up and pulled her phone away from her ear to look at the screen, quickly adding in the Supervisor's number so she wouldn't lose it. It was a lucky break that she got that call, considering she had completely forgotten all about the importance of an opening ceremony. Perhaps it was a sign telling her not to be so idle, especially since she moved in less than a week ago.

It now read 7:10 a.m. on the clock. It was time for the teenager to pack up and leave, considering she had to catch the train in ten minutes or else she'll be late for school. In a hurry she left her breakfast plate in the sink, grabbed her bag and ran out the door with her phone and keys. Living in this new country was very different to her own. High schools weren't built near residential areas which is why she will have to catch a train that took an hour before arriving at the campus. It was a regular routine here, but not one she was used to yet.

She managed to arrive at the station just as the train pulled in. A sigh of relief escaped her lips, stepping aboard with her bag tucked neatly under her arm. It was very crowded, so she had to make do with standing near the door. She couldn't help herself but look around at the passengers. There were your regular late-for-work Joes who kept checking their watches every minute, your average mothers smiling merrily as they thought about what they needed to buy from the grocery store and whether or not there would be any sales on in the markets, and then out of the corner of her eye she saw a student wearing the same uniform she had on. It was a male student standing by the entrance of the opposite door. From what she could see, he appeared rather tall and had long dark blue, almost black hair tied up in a high ponytail. His back was turned so she couldn't see his face properly, but she imagined that he'd have strong features. Jelena was almost tempted to manoeuvre her way over to him to say hello, but she reconsidered.

By the time the train pulled up at her stop the boy in the same uniform as her disappeared into the crowd so she couldn't follow him to school, but she knew where to go and trusted she wouldn't get lost. "Let's see… it should be just up the street on this hill. It says here that the school is really big and impossible to miss because of the architecture." she muttered to herself. As per the map and brochure she was holding that she had kept in her pockets, she walked up the treacherous hill toward the location of the school and discovered just how impressive it was.

The architecture substantially differed from traditional and modern Japanese style buildings. It was as grand as the Louvre Museum in Paris, though it was only a quarter the size. Its style related closely to London architecture, or anything in the European region from the 19th century. It even had beautiful gardens surrounding it, though whoever built this school was careful not to garden anything too close to the sports fields and courtyards. If it weren't for all the students in uniform, it could easily be mistaken for a manor or a museum.

"I can't believe my eyes… it's beautiful." Jelena marvelled at the building in front of her. It was hard for her to imagine that this would be her new school for the next two years.

"Yōkoso! (Welcome!)" a male student of average height suddenly stood in front of her and blocked the view of the building. It was Howard Link, wearing a maroon blazer that read "Black Order" on the badge. He held out a box that smelled of something sweet. He opened the lid and revealed a large blueberry pie. "I am standing in front of second year Jelena Hasu, class of 2B correct?"

"Y-Yeah." she answered hesitantly, looking down at the pie. "Is this for me?"

"Hai! (Yes!)" Link nodded. "I bake pies for every new student that enters this school. Please accept and enjoy it at your leisure. If it is not to your liking, I will happily bake another one."

"Uh… thanks." she smiled nervously. She had honestly never been handed a pie before unless she went out and bought one from the bakers. "Do you think you can hold onto it and keep it in a safe place until the end of the day? I- I don't really have anywhere to keep it… and I'm not very hungry."

"As you wish." Link saluted her.

Jelena began to wonder if he thought he was in some kind of secret service for the school, since he sure acted like there was. "So," she spoke nervously. "I received a call from my homeroom teacher this morning. He told me that I will have a pass for missing morning lessons so you can show me around?"

"Hai." Link nodded in affirmation. "Follow me and I will give you a tour of the school. I'll also provide you with a list of the rules, explain the compulsory club activities and show you who to get close with and who to avoid."

"Huh?" she raised an eyebrow at the last part of his sentence. "Uh, what do you mean who to get close to and who to avoid?"

Link turned around and started walking along the path into the school, continuing to hold the box which contained her pie. He kept at a fairly average pace so Jelena could keep up and walk beside him, giving her time to memorize her surroundings so she wouldn't get lost once she was out on her own.

"I'll explain on the way." he replied to her obviously puzzled question. "As you know, this is a school for prodigies but it is also widely known as a school that has a high rate of foreigners since English is a big part of the learning program here. However, just like any high school it also has its cliques… you know, the stereotypical groups that either make or break your high school experience. If you want to have a smooth year there are a few things you should know. It's not your average school."

"Perfect." she commented in a sarcastic tone. "I had this crazy idea that school would be a breeze so I could concentrate on other things in life, like getting a job to help out my parents. No, naturally school is going to be a job in itself." she let a disappointed sigh escape her dry lips.

Link couldn't resist but chuckle at her sarcasm. He was always amused by the new, naïve students that thought school would be like a paradise if you didn't include all the study and exams.

At this point, he decided to take her through to the shaded courtyard where a majority of the students were hanging out before homeroom started. It was the most social place, right in the centre of school so it was also the best place to go if you ever got confused about where you were.

"Let's start here. Do you see that big group of girls over there?" he gestured toward a large circle of female students. However, one was standing out above them all. Her smile was as beautiful as an angels, and her long dark hair was tied up into two pig tails which radiated her features. "Lenalee Lee, first year class of 1D. I'm sure you recognise the last name, for that is your homeroom teacher's younger sister. She is a social butterfly, though her brother is very overprotective. If you get on her good side, you're in the good books. If you're not, then good luck."

"Good luck?" she frowned toward him for his choice of words. "Is my homeroom teacher like a possessive demon of some kind?"

"I won't sugarcoat it for you. Komui is as smart as he is dangerous, though you will never know it until his sister is in danger. He builds robots for a living and they can make quite a mess… and if you're not careful they'll put you out of school for a week, but try not to worry about it. He is a lot more understanding with girls because he acts like a big brother to all of you. It's the majority of male students he targets. He doesn't want his sister to date anyone until she's thirty, so anyone who asks Lenalee out will have to deal with him first."

It didn't actually comfort her knowing that her homeroom teacher was a possessive, robot building psychopath. However, she felt sorrier for Lenalee for having to put up with a brother like that, though she knew they undoubtedly loved each other as siblings.

Link suddenly pulled her back before she took another step. A tall boy with red hair ran past her whilst dribbling a basketball. "Sorry!" he cheerfully apologised as he ran by, realising he almost ran into her. He had radiant red hair and an eye patch that covered his right eye. Several other boys suddenly followed behind him, obviously attempting to snatch the ball of the other.

"Lavi, second year in class 2B." Link began his explanation. "Let's just say he's the male equivalent of Lenalee. He's the captain of the basketball team, a member of the student council, and even has a scholarship. He's also handsome and popular, though he'll occasionally get into trouble because he enjoys pulling pranks on everyone. If you make friends with him, you'll always have someone to talk too."

"Interesting." Jelena watched him. Just on his looks alone you could tell he was friendly and athletic. Lavi had such a positive smile that could brighten anyone's day. It was surprising to hear that the two most popular students weren't jerks, since that's usually apart of your regular "clique".

"He's also a year older than everyone else despite only being in second year, like you." Link added.

"Really?" she looked surprised. "I thought you said he has a scholarship, so why would he be held back a grade?"

"Oh, it wasn't because he was held back from lack of grades. It's because he travelled a lot as a kid. He has been to 49 states all over the world in the past twelve years. See, his grandfather is a famous historian. Perhaps you've heard of him. Bookman?"

"Oh, yes." Jelena nodded merrily. "I've read his book about the history of Greece. It's truly amazing."

Link nodded in agreement. "Well, that's Lavi's grandfather. The only reason why he was kept down a grade was because he missed an entire year due to travel. However, he hasn't travelled since he has entered high school so that he'll be able to graduate with a breeze. I'm sure once he does, he and his grandfather will travel again. I hear that Lavi wants to follow in his grandfather's footsteps, after all."

"Wow, that's amazing." she commented. "I can't believe you know so much about everyone, or is it just the popular students?"

"I am the student council president, it's my job to know a lot about everyone. Though like I said, Lavi and Lenalee are social butterflies so there is a lot to learn about them." Link responded.

Once they had finished touring the courtyards, Link led her inside the school and through the corridors. They were much larger than a regular high school with so much more room to move around instead of getting caught in a crowd. It appeared as though the windows were tinted so that no one could see in, but you could see out. Jelena was absolutely fascinated by it. Soon they made a sharp right and ascended the stairs to the next floor which revealed to be the science and technology classrooms.

"Here is where you'll find all the science geeks. Don't worry, they are pretty friendly as long as they aren't playing around with their experiments." Link glanced into a classroom, catching a young Johnny about to pour a substance into another. "Johnny Gill!" he yelled. "If you blow up that science room on your first day, you will be suspended."

"Y-Yes, sir." Johnny saddened and moved the substance away from the beaker. All of his enthusiasm was flushed down the drain by one student council president.

"I'm sorry if I seem a little too strict, but that's my job." Link added.

They continued down the hallway before entering the next set of corridors which revealed to be the classrooms belonging to music and the arts. There was a sudden bang from inside one of the rooms, so Link decided to investigate. They entered the room and Jelena fell prey to witnessing one of the most unusual sights she may ever see in a school classroom. There were bottles of wine scattered everywhere, and they were all empty too. Toward the front of the classroom there was a man with long, dark red hair whom stood up after having tipped his chair a little too far back which made him fall over. "Nnng. I need a cigarette." he grumbled, not even noticing the student's presence.

"Sensei, you aren't permitted to smoke in the building during school hours." Link informed the teacher.

"I don't remember the rules listing that I have to take orders from a mutt. I'll crack open a window, 'kay?" Cross replied brutally. "Now beat it."

Link sighed heavily before ushering Jelena for her and himself to exit the room. It already had a strong stench of alcohol, so the smoke would've only made matters worse. "I regret to inform you that he is your music teacher."

"Are you serious?" she looked at him in disbelief.

"I'm afraid so. Look, he may not be the greatest teacher in the world but he's rather brilliant unfortunately. I believe he used to be a scientist until he got fired for being drunk all the time, so he turned to busking. It may not be enough to earn your respect, but he does do his job when he wants too and he will more than likely allow you to skip his class if he's too tired to teach." Link replied. "Oh, and one more thing. If he ever asks you to stay behind because he needs to talk to you alone, don't. It's a trap."

"Excuse me?"

"He's also known as a womanizer, so if you want to stay out of trouble then never be seen alone with him."

Jelena nodded, though she was beginning to find it hard to believe that this school was for prodigies when their teachers weren't much themselves. However, it was only her first day so she couldn't judge it too harshly. Give it a week, or two. Max.

"President! President!" a male's voice suddenly called out in desperation. Link turned to see that it was Toma calling out to him, one of the assistants of the student council. Toma stopped in front of them, desperately trying to catch his breath so he could speak. "It's Kanda and Allen. They've gotten into a fight at the front gates, and it looks pretty serious this time." he informed the president.

Link sighed heavily. "Let's hurry."

Jelena wasn't too sure of the situation but she decided she'd better follow Link, considering she still hadn't learnt the whereabouts of her homeroom. In the time it took them to get from the right building of the second floor all the way back to the front gates… chaos ensued.

In the middle of a large crowd, there stood two male students. They were significantly different from one another; one being short whilst the other being tall. The boy whom was short in height had unusual white hair and a scar that ran down his left eye to his cheek. He didn't look particularly strong given his form, but everyone knows that appearances can be deceiving. On the other hand, the tall male had a lean build and was obviously very athletic. He had mesmerizing dark blue eyes and dark hair that he tied up in a high ponytail, which Jelena recognised immediately.

"I know him… the boy with the ponytail." she commented aloud.

"Eh?" Link glanced at her in disbelief.

"I mean… I don't actually know him personally, but I saw him on the train on my way to school. I was going to talk to him since I didn't know anyone here, but I decided I shouldn't." Jelena elaborated so Link wouldn't get the wrong impression.

I see." he sighed casually. "I'm glad you didn't. His name is Kanda, and don't let his beautiful face fool you. He's captain of the kendo club, but he's also skilled in the use of real traditional swords and melee combat. He holds the record for the most building damage cost in a year, and has had several suspensions for putting a student in hospital. The only reason why he hasn't been expelled is because he has an outstanding scholarship in a university that he'll attend to pursue his career in swordsmanship."

"Oh, really? I'm glad I didn't approach him then." Jelena sighed, though she was secretly impressed by his knowledge of traditional sword fighting and hand combat. "And what about the boy he's fighting? Who is he?"

Link frowned at the question. "Allen Walker. A very mysterious boy but he's very polite and acts like a gentleman most of the time, but don't ever play any type of gambling with him. I don't know much about him since his school records are sealed, but I do know that he and Kanda have been at war since the moment they met."

"Are you ready for me to give you a crew cut, moyashi?" Kanda smirked toward the other whilst tightening his grip around the bokken (bok(u), "wood", and ken, "sword") he was holding.

Allen's polite expression became that of a devils. "I don't think you'll be able to cut anything with that stick, BaKanda! Of course, you were too slow to realise that weren't you?"

"I think you'll be surprised what I can do with a simple stick… hya!" Kanda said, before lunging toward the small boy in front of him.

Kanda wasn't fond of lengthy conversations, so he didn't waste any time attacking. Naturally his first strike was easily evaded, countered by Allen aiming to kick him in the head. Unfortunately for him though, Kanda was quick to react and grabbed Allen's ankle. A very shallow smirk traced across Kanda's lips as he pulled Allen's leg forward and struck his chest with the bokken, which would leave a very nasty bruise.

Allen winced slightly from the blow, but he wasn't going to give up that easily. This time he lunged forward, pushing Kanda into defence. They both had fast reflexes, so it was difficult to tell if either of them were getting a blow in or not. Eventually, Kanda managed to throw Allen onto his back, pointing the tip of the bokken at his neck. "Your bark's worse than your bite, moyashi."

"I really can't match you with a stick, after all." Allen panted heavily, glancing up at him from the ground with his piercing grey eyes. He hated when Kanda acted smug.

"Damn right, now let's finish you off."

"Now, now. I don't ever recall losing!" Allen grabbed Kanda's wrist with his ankles, twisting his arm so he was forced to drop the bokken out of his hands.

Allen used this opportunity to jump up and sock a heavy punch into Kanda's jaw. It wasn't exactly a fair fight when it came to these two, since they really didn't hold back against each other. Everyone in the crowd was cheering. Link had disappeared, probably gone to get a teacher that could put an end to the brawl, because he knew they would never listen to him.

"Tch!" Kanda stumbled back but managed to find his balance again. Like lightning he lunged himself toward Allen again, landing several blows across his abdomen and face. The other retaliated, though it was much harder to hit the swordsman now that he was fired up. Despite being battered and bruised, they endured and continuously fought with one another until their fight landed them both on the ground, in a punching rally. Their full attention was put into the fight which distracted them from the shadow looming over. As they glanced up, they were both suddenly hit heavily in the back of the head by a school bag that felt like it had several dictionaries inside it.

"It was fun and games at the start but now you two are just acting like a pair of children wrestling on the ground." Jelena revealed herself to be the one who had interfered. Everyone gaped in the absence of words. The only people who had interfered in a fight between Kanda and Allen were Lavi and Lenalee, so it was a shock to the public to see an outsider step in so bravely. Especially in the middle of a fight.

"Nanda? (What the hell?)" Kanda held the back of his head and stood up in front of her, glaring down. It was obvious she managed to piss him off more than he already was. His intimidating gaze was almost enough to make her want to back down, but she luckily didn't have to.

"Stop this foolishness immediately!" a deep male's voice suddenly bellowed as he approached the trio in the middle of the crowd. Link was standing beside him, shaking his head directed toward Jelena. Didn't he tell her to stay away from Kanda?

"Everyone, go to your homerooms immediately! Teachers have finished their meeting, so class will begin shortly." he yelled. "As for you three, do you plan to explain what happened here?"

"Sir, if I may." Link stood in front of the man. "Kanda and Allen were the ones who started the fight. This here is Jelena; she's one of the new students who was only trying to put an end to the fight. Perhaps you can give her a pass for today so she can settle in and learn."

"Unacceptable." the man replied. He had short, slicked back brown hair and a toothbrush moustache. His expression was sharp and showed obvious signs of displeasure. Jelena was trying to guess who this man was before she was addressed by him. "I'm issuing the three of you an afternoon detention, however since it's the first day of school they will not be written on your permanent records… as long as you show up for it." he seethed. Kanda and Allen frowned in displeasure, but they accepted their fate and grabbed their bags that were on the ground and went their separate ways. The man turned around and made the long walk back to his office.

Jelena was left there letting out a heavy sigh. Perfect. Her first day of school and she already managed to get herself a detention, even though she wasn't the instigator of the fight that took place. That's what she gets for trying to help.

"You shouldn't have involved yourself." Link pointed out once they were the only two there left standing.

"I guess I'll know that for next time, won't I?" she bit back at him. "Anyway, who was that man with you? Another teacher?"

"No." Link explained. "Malcolm C. Lvellie. He's the Principle of our school and he takes his job very seriously. He doesn't put up with any bad misconduct, though Komui and Cross always seem to get away with it. I suggest you stay on his good side and follow the rules, otherwise you'll be spending most of your afternoons at school instead of at home."

"Great, now I've seen just about everything." Jelena crossed her arms over her chest and stubbornly kicked a rock that was at her feet. It was her first day and already she had met a pie baking president, a popular girl with an overprotective brother, a popular boy that dressed like a pirate, an intoxicating playboy music teacher, a group of science geeks, a pair of childish misfits that plan to kill each other and of course, a principle with Hitler's moustache. What could possibly go wrong?


End file.
